ARTS NEWSSummer! Woo Hoo.... SLAP on the suncream and getoutside but don’t forget to come see what we’re up to atthe Arts Workshop! Worcester Music Festival is the flavourof the month with lots of exciting things to take part inand loads of lovely live music to enjoy at the end of themonth.SUMMER HOLIDAY CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIESWe have some exciting activities for you and yourchildren to get involved with every week throughout August!Thurs 1st Aug Recycled Sculpture Workshopwith Claire Kennedy. For 5-11yrsThurs 8th Aug Drawing + Illustrationwith Claire Kennedy. For 5-11yrsTuesday 13th Aug Family Ceramicswith Kay Mullett. For all agesThurs 15th Aug Fancy dress life drawingwith Sian Hughes and Amy Birch. For all agesThurs 22nd Aug Mask makingwith Sian Hughes and Amy Birch. For all agesAll workshops cost £5 and run from 10am until 11.30am.Please book in advance by calling 01905 25053 or emailingus on info@worcesterartsworkshop.org.ukMUSICHoorah for the Worcester Music Festival this month!Acting as the usual HQ and one of the venues, The ArtsWorkshop will have live music from Fri 30th August untilSunday 1st Sept. Friday night line up includes Babble 7pmtil 11pm, Saturday is taken over by SLAP magazine fromthe daytime through until midnight, see page 40-41 forfull details.Then come have a calm relaxing Sundayacoustic day from 2pm until 7pm. See the festival websiteor brochure for more details.Lazy Sunday on the 11th is being hijacked by the festivalalso, so we see Portia Reed soundcloud.com/portiareedBJB: www.bjbmusic.com; Jenna Varndell a seven piecesoul band www.jennavarndellmusic.com as well as RajuMali and Eeek http://eeekmusic.bandcamp.com.GALLERIES7th til 17th. There will be a collection of paintings byWilliam (Billy) Webber (kindly donated by Sue Toal,Williams sister), to be sold by closed auction to raisefunds for AIMs (ArtinMinds). There will be a private viewon Friday 9th August in the gallery upstairs in Cafe Blissat The Worcester Arts Workshop from 6pm til 8pm. Allwelcome. Contact 01905 619633 for more info or emailcontact@artinminds.org.uk21st til 7th Sept. The Worcester Music Festival Openexhibition. There is still time for entries so get them inasap..... (See feature).During the festival month we will also have acollection of album covers for local bands beautifullydesigned by Worcester’s own, Richard Clarke.Clik Clik Collective galleries are open Wed to Sat 10amtil 3pm and during the music festival.MUSIC FESTIVAL OPEN EXHIBITIONAs the music festival draws near, The Worcester ArtsWorkshop will be showcasing an open exhibition as partof the Worcester Music Festival in August and we arelooking for your talents and inspirations to make ithappen! The exhibition will run from 21st August until7th September and we are calling for entries betweennow and the 15th August.Participants are asked to submit a non refundableimage in any medium providing that it fits in one of twosizes, CD size (12.5cm x 14 cm), or album size (31.5cmx 31.5cm). You can submit this on any backgroundmaterial: paper/plastic/3D/photo/wood etc though weask that the work is unframed. All images MUST beclearly related to music in some form: lyrics,photography, portraits, album covers, or any imagewhich is inspired by a song or touched by music.We ask for a small donation for all entries of £3 per CDsize and £5 per Album Size, with all proceeds from thisgoing to The Worcester Arts Workshop and TheWorcester Music Festival equally. All work will beauctioned off at the end of the exhibition and allproceeds from this will go to their designated charitiesof choice; Worcester Deaf Children’s Society and SightConcern Worcestershire.THE DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS THE 15TH AUGUST. Anywork submitted after this date will not be included.For info on how to enter check out the news sectionon our website or take a peek at our facebook page.Enquiries to: clikclikcollective@gmail.comaKate Cox6
Photograph by Richard Shakespeare<strong>REVIEW</strong>. Our Big Jam Fri 12th July.Our Big Jam was part of a nationwide music event calledOur Big Gig, encouraging music making within ourcommunities. The Arts Workshop organised a hugejamming session for all to get involved with and includedmusical input from Ed Steelefox, Philip Wilkins, RichardClarke, Perry Foster, Justin Bryant, members of theWorcester Music Festival team and many other faces. Wewere lucky to have a visit from the minister forcommunities Don Foster who came to open the event anddespite being late, stayed on at the workshop for an hourplaying not only the ukulele but also percussion with thechildren! This was a great family event with adults andchildren alike engaging in music participation. The sun wasshining and everyone had a lovely late afternoon and earlyevening singing, strumming, banging and shaking along tosongs we all know. It was good to feel a great communityvibe and this was just what we had hoped for witheveryone who came along contributing to this musicalmelee.<strong>REVIEW</strong><strong>REVIEW</strong>. Kay’s at the Hive. Coach Tour. 20th July.Kay’s at the Hive was a day of performance andheritage based on Kay’s of Worcester founded in the late1890’s and well known for years of mail order, catalogueposes and 24p a week skirts throughout the decadeswhich sadly saw its last activity in Worcester in 2007.Directed by Stephen Wilson and managed by RachelBradley, this was a strange mix of entertainingperformance split into three very different styles andtaking a journey to the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Thefirst one of these time warps was the coach trip.I have to say, when Steve told me that this performancewas set on a moving coach, despite my in built travelsickness, I knew I needed to give it go. So midday on thatscorching July day and there I was, ready and waiting likea keen Skegness day tripper. Once all of the passengershad boarded (including some of Kay’s former staff) weset off through the streets of our fair city with aninteresting lesson in Kay’s history architecturally andcreatively. I had no idea that they had their own theatrecompany creating pantomimes since the 50’s and wewere reminded of this in style by these very same actorsgetting on board at various locations and engaging us instrange ‘oh no she didn’t’ games which made you feellike you had not only stepped back in time but alsoaccidentally taken some hallucinogenic substance whichhad multi colour in full volume! Cliff Richard would havebeen proud as we all sang Summer Holiday and alongwith our cheesy sleazy tour operator and ex Kay’semployee of the month, Norman “The Rock” (played byStephan Bessant) heading up the tour, how could we gowrong? This was a unique day and well done to allinvolved for providing laughter, fun and learning all inone big catalogue!CLOD ENSEMBLE MALVERN FORUM THEATRE FRI 7TH JUNE.There had been talk of this performance for a while around and about the shire, partly due to Michelle Pogmoreand her avid passion for promoting cutting edge performance within the county (some of you may know what Imean when I say facebook promoting can work better than expected!...)! It’s always exciting when there is a buzz inWorcester about something creative so going to see Clod Ensemble’s performance, ‘Zero’ at Malvern Theatre was amust and faces were seen from all over the arts community in Malvern that sunny Friday evening.Offering up a back drop heavy with blues, swing and soul by acclaimed live musicians playing harmonica, trombone,cello and more, this show was dominated by ten dancers from a range of nationalities with slick movement; beautifulyet eerily contorted. Clod ensemble create performance work led by a duo of choreographer/director Suzi Wilson andcomposer Paul Clarke and like to push boundaries between the different art forms. In ‘Zero’, commissioned by Saddler’sWells and Brighton Festival, they fuse music, dance and visual effects to deliver a show which is truly hypnotic.Wearing a simplistic style, the performers draw you in and hold you there, visually stunning with juxtaposedconnection and mesmerising rhythms which seemed to come from another world.I’m not sure I know what the subject was and it didn’t matter, though the projections and movements seemed toimply turbulent times intertwined with personal relationships. As a viewer you felt engulfed in passion, intensityand darkness and my eyes flickered from dancer to musician and back again like a child in a sweet shop.Clod Ensemble have worked internationally collaborating with theatre practitioners, music, visual art, photography,film and poetry since 1995. All Clod Ensemble’s performances are produced in association with Fuel, who work withsome of the most exciting theatre artists in the UK to develop new work for all.www.clodensemble.comclodensemble#zero | www.fueltheatre.com7
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